1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a signal processing apparatus adapted to supply signals to a second apparatus and including the means defined hereinafter, namely, power supply input means to which electric power can be applied, and power supply output means to which power supply input means of the second apparatus can be connected, and power supply connection means via which the power supply output means is connected to the power supply input means and via which at least a part of the power applied to the power supply input means can be applied to the power supply output means, and supply voltage generating means connected to the power supply input means and capable of generating at least one supply voltage, and signal processing means to which a supply voltage generated by the supply voltage generating means can be applied and by which at least one signal can be processed, the signal processing means being adapted to supply at least one processed signal to be transferred to the second apparatus, and signal output means to which the processed signal can be applied and to which signal input means of the second apparatus can be connected.
2. Description of the Related Art
Such a signal processing apparatus of the type defined in the opening paragraph is commercially available in several variants and is consequently known. The known signal processing apparatus is a video recorder for recording and reproducing video signals and audio signals on a magnetic tape. A television receiver can be connected to the known video recorder as a second apparatus. Activable line voltage switching means enable the known video recorder to be set from power-off mode to a power-on mode, and also to a standby mode. In the power-on mode, the supply voltage generating means is constantly connected to the power supply input means and the supply voltage generating means supplies power to all the video recorder parts to be powered and, consequently, also to the signal processing means which is adapted to supply at least a processed signal to be transferred to the television receiver, and which is basically formed by an antenna amplifier. When the known video recorder is in the standby mode, the supply voltage generating means is also constantly connected to the power supply input means, and the supply voltage generating means supplies at least the supply voltage required to power the signal processing means which serves to supply at least a processed signal to be transferred to the television receiver. This supply voltage is applied to the signal processing means, as a result of which the signal processing means, which is basically formed by an antenna amplifier, is also fully operable in the standby mode, thus enabling signals received by means of an antenna of the known video recorder to be processed, so that, subsequently, via the signal output means of the known video recorder, the processed signals can be applied to the signal input means of the television receiver connected to the known video recorder, and can be reproduced by means of this television receiver.
Thus, in the known video recorder, the situation occurs that in the standby mode of the video recorder, the supply voltage generating means and the signal processing means are active so as to enable the connected television receiver to operate in the reproducing mode via the known video recorder, which leads to the disadvantage that both the supply voltage generating means and the signal processing means consume power even when the television receiver connected to the video recorder is not active and this television receiver is, consequently, not in a reproducing mode. Since this operating condition, in which the known video recorder is in its standby mode while the connected television receiver is not active and does not perform a reproducing function, generally persists for a comparatively long time, this leads to a comparatively high unnecessary power consumption, which is disadvantageous and undesirable.